45 Fascinating “Today I Learned” Posts That May Leave You Questioning Reality (New Facts)

To learn more about the wild world of fun facts, we got in touch with a couple of trivia experts: David Jacobson, Founder and CEO of TrivWorks™, and Denny Grizzle, Owner of Pour House Trivia. They were kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and discuss what they love most about trivia.

"As a professional trivia event writer, producer and host for almost 20 years, what I love most about trivia is the way people get excited about it," David shared. "It's an incredibly rewarding feeling to correctly answer to a piece of trivia, especially if it's something nostalgic you haven't thought about in a long time, such as a pop culture reference."

"From my perspective running trivia events for corporate audiences, there's really nothing better than seeing the reaction people have when their team gets an answer correct!" David continued. "I also love the challenge of finding that 'sweet spot' between questions that aren't too easy, but aren't too hard either - what I call 'tip of the tongue' questions. Those are extremely rewarding for people to get right - including me!"

As for Denny, he says his favorite aspects of trivia are "the camaraderie and the opportunity to hang out with friends and play a game while challenging ourselves."

Next, we asked the experts if they could share some of their favorite fun facts that they've picked up from the trivia world.

"My strength as a trivia writer is in pop culture (TV/movies, music, celebrity news, fads, etc.) - however, trivia events need to be well-rounded with general knowledge questions, as well as questions specific to the audience: company history, industry-specific facts, etc.," David says.

"Through this, I've learned some really fun things I never knew about before I became a trivia professional: The largest bottle of wine is called a 'Nebuchadnezzar,' which can hold about 20 regular-sized bottles," he shared. "The only country in the world today with a head of state using the title 'Emperor' is Japan."

"The longest nonstop commercial flight in the world (19 hours) is between New York City and Singapore. There's only 2 'double landlocked' countries in the world (landlocked countries, which are completely surrounded by other landlocked countries): Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein," David continued.

"Also, plenty of pop culture fun facts I never knew before: Limahl, the lead singer of Kajagoogoo, also sang 'The Neverending Story' theme. Only 2 teams of the original NBA still play in their original host cities (Knicks & Celtics)," the expert shared. "Actor Bruce Willis released an album on Motown Records in 1987 ('The Return of Bruno'). The small divots on golf balls are called 'dimples.'"

"The animal with the highest blood pressure is the giraffe," Denny told Bored Panda. "Their blood pressure can reach up to 280/180 mmHg, which is more than double the normal human blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg."

The trivia expert also added that "bananas are radioactive!"

And if you're looking to expand your knowledge on random topics, the experts have some advice. "The best way to learn fun facts on a range of trivia topics is to completely immerse yourself in self-learning opportunities, utilizing a variety of media formats," David shared. "Reading extensively is key - not just the news and nonfiction, but fiction as well. You'd be surprised how many fun facts you can pick up from novels!"

"For pop culture, it's really a matter of keeping your eyes and ears open to what's happening around you: listen to different types of music, watch popular TV shows/movies, pay attention to the gossip news, etc.," he continued. "For those who are serious about getting better at trivia for competitive reasons - say, if you want to dominate a pub quiz, or audition for a TV game show - you should also be studying (or better yet, memorizing) lists of commonly referenced trivia topics: world capitals, award winners, chemical elements, etc."

"Best way to learn, for real, is to play pub trivia!" Denny added. "You could memorize lists as well (e.g. presidents/VP/first ladies; world capitals; largest animals, Oscar winners, etc.), but it's great to play to put that knowledge to the test to cement it."

Finally, David added that people love trivia for a variety of reasons. "It's rewarding, it's informative, and in a competitive setting it's a great opportunity to show off your smarts in a fun way," he told Bored Panda. "But what I, as a trivia professional, also see is that trivia is a fantastic way for people to bond. Even if you don't know folks you're playing trivia with, you most likely have some shared common knowledge you didn't even realize!"

Denny echoed a similar sentiment. "Pub Trivia can have a positive on mental health by boosting cognitive function, reducing stress, and encouraging social interaction."

So what are you waiting for, pandas? Sign up for that trivia night!